For various reasons I missed past three Powell Street Festivals so it was great to be back in Oppenheimer Park this year taking in the smells, the sights and the sounds of this amazing community festival - the oldest ethnic festival in Vancouver (and maybe all of Canada!).

I heard from my father that he bought the Nimi Drug Store from Ishikawa in 1918. Asiatics were not allowed to dispense western medications—only Japanese-style herbal medications. So Nimi Shokai sold Kodak cameras, film, 78 records of popular songs, pancake makeup, Shaffer pens, gift items, binoculars. Lots of people bought their omiyagi from us, gifts to take back to Japan with them.